Blood sausage, the name says it all (albeit, a little abruptly and slightly off-putting to some), is a sausage where the chief ingredient is blood. Aside from the horror movie images the word “blood” conjures, blood sausage is an incredible, delicious, and coveted ingredient.
What is Blood Sausage
You would be hard pressed to find a country on this great, big, beautiful earth of ours that does not make a form of blood sausage. Ever since humans began domesticating livestock, we’ve found ways to make good use of every piece and part of these animals, including blood.
Here is a little list of blood sausages from around the world: Boudin Noir (France), Jelito (Czech), Blood/Black Pudding (UK), Morcilla/Morcella (Spain, Portugal, and Latin American), Soondae (Korea), Blutwurst (Germany), Blodkorv (Sweden), and Xue Doufou (China)
So, why blood? For one thing, blood is readily available. Waste not, want not, right? Blood is also an incredible binder, acting in similar ways to eggs or egg whites. This binding property is important when it comes to making blood sausage, as it helps to hold all the additional ingredients firmly together. Depending on the sausage maker, you’ll find additional ingredients like rice, oats, wheat, and barley, along with seasoning elements like onion, garlic, and peppers, all often blended with other meaty pieces and fat. Some blood sausages can even contain nuts, fruits, and cheeses.
How to Eat Blood Sausage
Blood sausage can be grilled, pan-fried, or sauteed. It is often added to soup and stews, or served cold on charcuterie platters. Blood sausage is extremely versatile, and each blood sausage producing region has a slew of recipes to explore.
If you’re new to blood sausage, we recommend trying it out as a replacement for the more traditional sausages. Here are a few recipes where blood sausage would work very well.
- Garlicky Greens with Sausage and Pasta (morcilla blood sausage would be very tasty in this recipe)
- Chicken and Sausage Gumbo (boudin noir blood sausage would be lovely in this gumbo)
- Breakfast Sausage Casserole (black pudding would be very tasty in this breakfast recipe)
Sourcing Blood Sausage
Depending on the style of blood sausage you’re looking for, we recommend going to a market specializing in the foods/cuisine of that region. You can also speak to your local butcher (certainly at a gourmet grocer) about sourcing blood sausage.
Feature Image: Flickr user avlxyz (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 )
